**Famine Warning Issued for Northern Gaza Amid Ongoing Conflict**
Experts have raised alarms about the potential for famine in specific regions of northern Gaza, where Israeli military operations are intensifying. A statement released by four humanitarian experts highlighted the “extremely grave and rapidly deteriorating” humanitarian situation across the war-affected Gaza Strip, particularly in its northern areas.
The Famine Review Committee, which comprises independent experts from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) network—an alliance of 15 organizations including the U.N.—has indicated that “famine thresholds may have already been crossed or will be shortly.” They emphasized that urgent action is necessary from all parties involved in the conflict, particularly in the coming days, to alleviate what they described as an impending catastrophe.
Cindy McCain, the executive director of the U.N. World Food Program, reiterated this warning following the announcement. She stated on social media, “The unacceptable is confirmed: Famine is likely happening or imminent in north Gaza,” adding that immediate measures must be taken to ensure the safe passage of humanitarian and commercial supplies to avert a disaster.
The urgent alert comes in light of an IPC analysis published on October 17, which declared that many residents of Gaza are grappling with severe food insecurity, categorized as emergency level Phase 4. The analysis identified around 133,000 individuals facing catastrophic food conditions, equivalent to Phase 5, indicating famine. The team’s assessment suggested that if worst-case scenarios played out, a widespread famine could threaten all of Gaza between November and April 2025.
Significant developments since the IPC report point to worsening conditions. The ongoing Israeli military campaign has, for the past month, essentially confined northern Gaza. Reports show that aid shipments in recent months have decreased significantly, reaching critical levels as access to food becomes increasingly restricted.
In response to these dire warnings, the Israeli authorities managing aid, known as COGAT, indicated plans to establish a new aid corridor into Gaza. This move comes amid pressure from the U.S. for Israel to enhance the flow of humanitarian supplies or else face potential restrictions on military aid. However, there was no indication from COGAT regarding the timeline for this crossing or whether aid would reach northern Gaza.
U.S. officials have insisted that Israel should permit at least 350 trucks of supplies to enter Gaza daily. However, figures from COGAT show that only an average of 57 trucks were delivered daily in October, and this number rose slightly to 81 in the first week of November. The U.N. reported even lower figures, estimating an average of only 37 trucks daily since early October, while prior to the conflict, about 500 trucks moved into Gaza each day.
Jean-Martin Bauer, who heads WFP’s food security and nutrition analysis division, expressed concern about the declining supply of essential goods in Gaza. He warned that this scarcity is leading to severe food insecurity and an imminent famine in northern Gaza. Bauer urged for immediate actions to facilitate aid delivery, insisting that humanitarian agencies must be allowed to operate effectively in response to the population’s needs.
The Famine Review Committee also highlighted alarming statistics: increasing numbers of people are fleeing while remaining civilians are ensnared in conflict zones, food prices are soaring, and attacks on health and nutrition infrastructures have escalated. These circumstances include incidents where medical personnel have reportedly been detained by Israeli forces.
The committee has called for a fresh IPC analysis to reevaluate the ongoing crisis, pointing out that the worst-case scenarios anticipated earlier by analysts are already unfolding in northern Gaza. They asserted, “It can therefore be assumed that starvation, malnutrition, and excess mortality due to malnutrition and disease are rapidly rising in these regions.”
Famine conditions stem from critical shortages of food and extreme malnutrition encompassing vast segments of the population, particularly affecting at least 30% of children, leading to avoidable deaths.
To mitigate this situation, the committee urged immediate actions to lift the blockade on northern Gaza and to facilitate unhindered access to food, water, medical supplies, and nourishment across the entire region. They also called for repairs to health facilities and the release of medical staff currently detained.
Finally, the experts cautioned that without prompt intervention within the next few days, the humanitarian crisis is set to worsen significantly, resulting in more preventable deaths. They warned that if key stakeholders fail to act, the severity of the impending disaster could surpass anything experienced in Gaza since the onset of the conflict on October 7, 2023.